'Togetherness' makes PSU right choice for Robinson

Steve Robinson began attracting interest from Division I baseball programs before his junior year at Malvern Prep.

Harvard initially was at the top of his list, followed in no particular order by Columbia, Dartmouth, Yale, Maryland and Penn State.

A Cumru Township resident, Robinson decided to make a recruiting visit to Penn State for a football game, even though he didn't consider himself a diehard Nittany Lions fan.

That game was against Nebraska on Nov. 12, 2011, eight days after the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke and three days after Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno was fired.

"I was actually on the sideline when all the kids from each team met at midfield for the (pregame) prayer," Robinson said. "That was unreal."

The weekend visit had such a profound impact on Robinson that Penn State moved to the top of his college list. Several months later he committed to the Nittany Lions.

"I didn't make up my mind right after that game," he said. "But being up there and seeing the atmosphere and the togetherness at Penn State really started making me feel more comfortable about going there."

The 5-11, 180-pound Robinson is one of the top scholastic baseball players in Pennsylvania. A senior catcher, he's a Rawlings preseason All-American and was named to the Pennsylvania High School Baseball Coaches Association preseason All-State first team.

Last year he helped lead Malvern Prep to a 31-5 record and the Pennsylvania Independent School championship, singling in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of a 3-2 win over the Haverford School.

"He's been a dynamic offensive player for us," Malvern Prep coach Fred Hilliard said. "He's been plugged into the lineup since his sophomore year to be a run producer. He drives the ball well and hits with some power.

"He's very focused and determined to make himself a better hitter each and every day."

Robinson batted .371 last season with 18 RBIs, six doubles and one home run against a schedule that included several Division I pitchers. He participated in the inaugural Big 26 Classic last summer in Harrisburg, which is run by officials from the Big 33 Football Classic.

With Robinson leading the way, the Friars have been ranked the No. 1 team in Pennsylvania by USA Today and Maxpreps.com.

"He does whatever we ask him to do," Hilliard said. "The younger kids know he's a good player. They know he's committed to Penn State. And yet he's in there every day working hard to get better in every facet of the game."

Robinson has played summer and fall ball for the Grand Slam Blue Rocks under coach Todd Louviaux, the Gettysburg-based Mid-Atlantic Rookies and the Virginia-based Canes.

At Malvern Prep, he's the president of the National Honor Society and carries a GPA over 4.0. He's also a member of the Science National Honor Society who has taken nine advanced placement courses.

He's planning to major in chemical engineering, another reason why he chose to accept Penn State's scholarship offer and play for coach Robbie Wine.

"It really came down to the atmosphere," Robinson said. "I was on vacation in California last year, and I was wearing a Penn State shirt. People would come up to me and say, 'We are.' I thought, 'Wow, this is really a nationwide school.'

"That kind of outreach and that kind of togetherness really brought me in."